Real ‘broken’ after squandering lead at Dortmund

By Adam Irons - 28/09/2016

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane could not hide his frustration after his side conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, repeatedly remarking “we are broken”.

Substitute Andre Schurrle’s 87th minute rocket pulled an impressive Dortmund side level for the second time in the game, denying Real a victory that would have taken them three points clear at the top of Group F.

Dortmund had wasted a series of chances to equalise before Schurrle struck, but Zidane still lamented his team’s failure to kill off the game, having also conceded a late leveller to draw 2-2 at Las Palmas last Saturday.

“We’re broken because we played well in defence and attack and played how we wanted to play,” Zidane told a news conference on Tuesday. “In the end it’s always the same and this is the third game now. I’m broken for the players, because this is not what they deserve.

“At the end of the day it’s not a bad result, but when you play like this, you feel broken.”

Real looked to be on their way to a victory after Raphael Varane tapped in from a few yards out to restore their lead midway through the second half, after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had cancelled out Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener.

Schurrle’s late leveller signalled a third successive draw for the European champions, who had won 16 games in La Liga until drawing 1-1 with Villarreal last week.

“Sometimes football is like this and sometimes you go on a bad run but we’re going to keep going and we’re going to turn this around,” added Zidane.

Real host Eibar in La Liga on Saturday and Brazilian full back Danilo vowed his side would not make the same mistakes.

“We drew while playing well and we’re not pleased with these draws but Eibar will pay for this on the weekend,” he said.

“We’re more sad than happy because we were so close to winning at a very difficult ground. We want to win every game and we’ve had bad luck but we have to keep working and fighting in our next game.” (Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)